Florida legislators are drafting a proposal to grant airports immunity from state and local liabilities to implement wildlife mitigation plans following the Hudson River landing of a US AirwaysAirbus A320 caused by bird strikes on 15 January.

"If it comes down to the safety of human beings or the safety of wildlife, we're doing this to protect human beings," he says.

Plakon worked with Orlando Sanford International airport president and CEO Larry Dale in crafting the draft legislation.

The Sanford facility had ten reported animal strikes in both 2005 and 2006. Orlando Sanford had 17 reported strikes in 2007 and 17 strikes between 1 January 2008 and 25 August 2008, the latest data available. Three bald eagles were killed in strikes last year.

The airport has permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to use a variety of techniques to deter wildlife, including the use of paintball guns. However, airport employees or contractors may not directly shoot or kill an endangered species such as the bald eagle.

"They could prosecute us criminally if we were to accidentally kill the birds even though we were mandated to disperse them," Dale says.

So, the airport sought but failed to receive immunity from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the case of accidental death.

Dale is not the only airport executive to support The Airline Safety and Wildlife Protection Act.

The Florida Airports Council voted in favour of the draft on 4 February.

The US Airways landing brought bird strikes to everyone's attention but Florida has a lot of wildlife issues, council executive director Bill Johnson says.

"The more safeguards the better," he says.

Wildlife management can be complex because airports must meet federal, state and sometimes local permitting requirements.